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I am starting to explore the DFW area parks and found a very nice one called Arbor Hills Nature Preserve in Plano. There were large fields of firewheels that probably looked really nice a few weeks ago, and this is probably a good park to find wildflowers during the spring and summer. I noticed the Texas Thistle is a darker purple than the ones I found around San Antonio and the Texas Hill Country. I'm sharing a link so you can see the flowers I found.

Thanks for the update and the link. Very lovely photos! I have been to that nature preserve several times. There are two sides to the area the north side is the nature preserve area and the south side has all of the community center facilities.

Hi Rich, I haven't made it to Cedar Hill State Park, but definitely want to check it out one of these weekends. Do you have any other favorite parks around DFW? Also, do you think the purple flowers I photographed are basket flowers? I was thinking they were TX Thistle, but am not so sure. They were in many areas around the park and I like the darker purple color they have.

Not sure what you will find right now at Cedar Hill, but when I have visited it during the peak Spring season it has already provided a variety of wildflower displays.

As to the basket-flower - The Centaurea Americana is in the same thistle tribe as the purple Texas thistle. The way I tell the difference is that the basket flower has a larger white center surrounded by the darker rays. It also tends to be flatter in shape. The leaves are really the tell-tale. Basket flower has leaves that are obovate to lanceolate and smooth edges. The Texas thistle has spiny tooth leaves and look more like they would hurt if you touch them.